Valve-stem and tire-deflation alarm.



No. 881,410. PATENTED MAR. 10, 1908. A. E. KAY.

VALVE STEM AND TIRE DBPLATION ALARM APPLICATION FILED AUG. 3, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 1.

PATENTED MAR. 10, 1908.

A. E. KAY. VALVE STEM AND TIRE DEPLATION ALARM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 3. 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ABBOTT E. KAY, or orncaco, ILLINOIS.

VALVE-STEM AND TIRE-DEFLATION ALARM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 10, 1908.

Application filed August 8, 1906. Serial No. 329,271.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, ABBOTT E. KAY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and" State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inValve-Stems and Tire-Deflation Alarms; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this s ecification.

This invention re ates to improvements in valve stems and tire deflation alarms, and more articularly to a device for signaling the deflation of a pneumatic tire.

Heretofore pneumatic tires have been extremely short lived. This is artly due to the fact that they are used w en not sufficiently inflated, or because of puncture or a leaking valve the tire may be deflated or artly deflated and inthis condition ruined Because not noticed by the Operator. Accidents of this kind are frequent and add greatly to the expense of automobile maintenance.

It is an object of this invention to provide a device adapted to be rigidly but removabl attached to a'pneumatic tire and which wi I instantly warn the operator of insufficient inflation.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an air valve stem provided with automaticall o eratin means for notifyin the o orator i flate It isan im ortant object of this invention to provide a evice in which the parts are so arranged that they are adapted to assume a position approximately flush in the tire when the tire is entirely deflated thereby preventing injury to both the device and tire. This is very important as most devices of this class have a rigid extension into the tire and as a consequence when the tire is deflated over a certain limit the extension either cuts the tire destroyin it or is broken by coming into contact with the ground.

It is finally an object of my invention to provide a device of the classdescribed, cheap to manufacture, of few parts, easily assemhis tires are insufliciently inbled and adapted for use in any pneumatic On the drawings: Fi ure 1 is a longitudinal I section of a device em odying my invention illustrating one method of engaging the same to the tire. Fig. 2 is a view of a tire and Wheel and alarm. Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section of the air tube at the contacts. Fi 4 is an enlarged detail of the method 0 engaging the s ring contacts in the tube. Fig. 5 is an e l arged view illustrating one method of arranging the circuit between the tire and signal. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of one of the contacts with the hub.

As shown in the drawings: A, represents an outer tire casing of the usual or an kind and a the inner tube. A rim a, rigi ly engages the edges of said casing therein and a felly a is engaged thereto in the usual or any desired manner. Said felly and rim are constructed and secured together as usual and are provided with alined apertures therethrough to receive the air valve stem B, which as shown, is externally threaded as usual and is rovided with an inwardly directed flange at its outer end.

An insulating sleeve 6 of fiber or other suitable material lines the upper end of said stem, and isflanged inwardly at the bottom. An insulating washer b engages the flan e b from beneath, and is firmly held in p ace by the insulating sleeve b Fitted in said sleeve b and seated on said lower flange is a metallic tube 1), provided with an integral externally threaded tubular extension I), of smaller diameter, which extends upwardly through said washer 1), beyond the top of the stem and in the upper end of which is the usual air valve b An insulating washer b, .of any suitable material is secured on said extension and is firmly held against the end of the stem B, by a metallic washer b", of suitable conductivity, betyveen which and the insulating washer 'one of the circuit Wires is engaged. The other wire is fastened between said insulating washer b and the outer end of the stem.

Slidably engaged in said stem B, is a tube 0, of smaller diameter than said tube 6, provided near its middle, with an integral peripheral flange c. A spring 0, bears against the lower end of the insulatin sleeve b and said flange c, and normally ho ds said tube 9 at its lowest limit of movement. A

nut 11",, engaged on the lower end of the stem distance that the lower end of said tube C, can extend into the inner tube.

The tube C is rovided at its upper end with oppositely 'sposed apertures and a leaf sprin 0*, is engaged in said tube'and its ends are I ent to afford oppositely directed spring contacts which project through the respective apertures and contact with the tube 1), when thetube Cis telescoped thereln.

As shown an apertured disk ciiconvex onits lower face is engaged in any suitable manner on the lower end of the tube C, and affords a broad bearing surface for the tread of the tube. A nut cand jam nut c firmly clamp the inner tube between the same and the nut 0 securing the stem firmly to the inner tube. The stem is secured in the rim as usual.

Ri 'dly engaged to the hub D of each whee l are two metallic quadrants dd insulated from each other by a fiber asket (i or in any preferred way. A brac et E, is rigidly bolted to the axle H, and housings F one for each quadrant are rigidly secured thereto in any preferred manner and are insulated from each other. Slidable in each housing is a stem G, which extends through a retaining cap or head g on the housing and is provided on its outer end with a rounded head 9 at all times held in osition to contact one of said uadrants d, by means of a spring 9 w 'ch en ages between the top of the housing F and t e end of the stem. The circuit wires fflead to a suitable bell F and if desired an annunciato'r on the dash, in convenient view of the operator.

The operation is as follows: The mechanism is assembled with the tire and the tire inflated bringing the head 0, the desired dis tance from t e tread, usually about the center of the inner tube. The wires are then connected between the hub and the end of the stem B, and washers bb", and also the wires from the signal or bell with the housingson the bracket F. The circuit is normall opened because the contacts a are held who ly within the stem B and are thus insulated from the lead wire, connected with the tube 1). If the tirev should lose air through any cause, immediately the tire flattens sufiiciently topress against the disk 0 the tube C telesco es the tube 6, and the contacts a are force into engagement with the tube 12, thereby closing the circuit when the quadrants contact the stems G, inasmuch as the s ring contacts 0, also contact the tube C an sprlng c and thence the stem B. The signal which may be of any preferred kind is thereby actuated from any suitable battery or source of current connected in the circuit. Should the tire entirely collapse the tube C can never out the tube owing to the fact that it telesco es into the tube 1), a distance equal to the 'stance it extends into the tire.

While I have described the valve as integral with one of the contacts it is obvious that they may be se arate if desired and any other changes may be made and I therefore do not deslre to limit this application for patent as to details as obviously many changes may be made without departing from the principles of this invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of'the class described the combination with an inner tube of a stem rigidly engaged thereto and having its inner end approximately flush with the tube, telescoping tubes, one rigidly engaged in the secured on the end of said stem.

3. The combination with a pneumatic tire of a valve stem engaged thereto, an insulated tube in said stem, a tube in said stem projecting into the tire and adapted to telescope said insulated tube, spring contacts carried by the movable tube to close a circuit, said stem and telescoping tube ada ted to assume a. position approximately ush with the tire when said trre is entirely deflated.

4. Ina device of the class described the combination with a stem of a tube in the upper end thereof and insulated therefrom, an integral extension on said tube providedv with a valve therein, a spring contact normally out of engagement. with said tube adapted when forced into contact therewith to complete the circuit and means normally holding the spring contact at its lower limit of movement.

5 An automatical signaling device comprising in combination with a tire a stem, a tube insulated therefrom and enga ed in the 11 per end thereof, a tube in the ower end 0 said stem and normally extending into thetire and adapted when actuated to telescope in the first mentioned tube, contacts carried by said lower tube, a flange on said lower tube and a spring bearing against the same normally holding the contacts out of engagement.

6. An automatical tire deflation signaling device comprising a stem of telescoping tubes therein, an insulating sleeve between one of the tubes and stem and of greater length than the tube, contacts engaged to the other tube, a flange on one of said tubes, means bearing against the same and said contacts engaged thereto, adapted when the tube, a distance e ual to thetdistance the in position and a rounded head on the lower 5 .7. In a device of the class" described the combination with a neumatic tire of a stem engaged thereto, te esco ing tubes in said stem one of which norma 1y extends into the tire and isadapted to telescopethe other tube the same distance it extends into the tire'and when fully telescoped to be approximately flush with the tire, contacts carried therewith,'a spring in the stem adapted. to force one of said tubes into the the, said tubes admitting the ,air'therethrough when inflating the tire;

8. In a device of the class described the combination with a .tire of a valve stem rigidly engaged therein at its lower end and nearly flush with the inner wall of the tire, a tube in the upper end of said sleeve and insu- 'lated therefrom, an integral extension on said tube projecting from the end of said sleeve and cored toafiord a valve chamber,

a tube in the lower end of said stem, spring lower tube isv actuated to engage the upper tubeand means normally holding the lower tube at its lowest limitof movement.

9. The combination with a tire of a stem engaged at its lower endtherein and 'ap ,roximately flush with the inner walLthereoEtelescoping tubes in said stem, one insulated therefrom and the inner one extending into said tire below the end of the stem, contacts carried on onelof said tubes adapted when the-same are telescoping to'close acircuit,

meansholding the tubes out of engagement when the tire is properly inflated said inner tube adapted" to telescope said insulated same extends into t e tire. e i

- 10. In a tire alarm the combination with a circuit to the signal of a stem engaged to .45 the tire, an upper tubetherein f and insu r lated therefrom,- a lower tube in said-n"sleeve extending into the tire a distance approximately equal to the length of said insulated tube, contacts engaged to said lower tube and movable therewith, said lower tube adapted as the tire loses air to telescope the upper tube thereby forcing the contacts into engagement, means limiting the upward movement of the lower tube and means adapted to force said lower tube to normal position. a

11. The combination with avehiclewheel and tire of a stem engaged to the tire,"'con- 'tacts in said stem one insulated therefrom and the other extending into the tire adapted when one is actuated to close a circuit, quadrants or plates enga' ed to the hub of said wheel and'insulated. om each other, a cas-, ing, a stem projecting therethrough, a spring forcing the stem outwardly, said stem adapted at each'revolution of the wheel to bear against said plates, wires connecting the same and signal and wires one connecting the stem and one of said quadrants or plates and the other wire connecting the insulated contact .in said stem with one of said quadrants or plates.

'12. The combination with a wheel, .tire and. axle, of a stem in the tire,'tubes therein and one insulated therefrom and the other extending into the tire, a plurality of quadrants or plates engaged to the hub of said wheel and insulated from each other, a bracket engaged to the axle adjacent the hub, housings rigidly engaged thereto and insulated from each other, a stem in each housing having a head' on the outer end and each adapted vat every revolution of the wheel to contact one of said quadrants or lates, wires connecting said stem and insuated tube with the respective quadrants or 

